Ford Focus SVT

The Ford Escort didn't exactly light up the world with its perform or design. When the time came for a makeover Ford didn't just redesign the aging platform, it did something special.

The perception of Ford in the tuning side of the automotive world changed significantly. No longer was Ford solely associated with the stigmatizing phrase, "There is no replacement for displacement." Indeed Ford has its own bit of pocket rocket for the masses.

This sport blue oval is available as a three and five-door hatchback or a sedan. Our choice is the sporty three-door. Yeah, and we know that even the Focus SVT can't match the sheer power and performance of the Cosworth-built Ford, but for our shores this will have to do.

And it doesn't do too badly for itself. Not exactly 100 horses per liter, 85 is close enough. Four valves per cylinder send air in and out of the combustion chamber of the direct fire powerplant out to a 4-2-1 exhaust manifold.

The cast-iron/aluminum 2.0L block produces 170 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 145 lb-ft torque @ 5,500 rpm. That doesn't seem like a whole lot, but we'd like to mention that the three-door weighs in just under 2,600 lbs making for a peppy little front-wheel drive car.

A Getrag transmission keeps it fun with six close-gears to shift through from 0 to its electronically limited top speed. Aesthetic changes to the SVT include larger wheels 17-inch 15-spoke wheels wrapped in 215/45ZR rubber on all four corners. Stiffer suspension keeps the car level during quick shifts and turns.

Saaaaa-weet, no?

The SVT comes in six slickly named colors, Vermillion Red, CD Silver, Pitch Black, Sonic Blue, Screaming Yellow and Competition Orange. We dig the CD Silver and Pitch Black names, very clever. It also features more aggressive body cladding than other Ford Focus vehicles. Don't forget the bucket Recaro SRDs on the inside.

For the money this is one smaller Ford that holds its own and loves mods. Its increased popularity in the aftermarket tuning scene has earned it enough recognition to merit the appearance in many recent video games. The Ford has appeared such games as Project Gotham Racing (Xbox), Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) and Colin McRae 3 (PS2, Xbox). It will also appear in Need for Speed Underground , Street Racing Syndicate and Gran Turismo 4.

MSRP on the Focus ranges from as little as $13,365 for a ZX3 and tops out at 19,130 for the SVT. Additional information on the SVT can be found on the Official Ford Website.